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Thunnus alalunga
Thunnus alalunga (''Albacore, longfin tuna)' Kingdom: '''Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Scombriformes Family: Scombridae Genus: Thunnus Species: Thunnus alalunga Environment: milieu, climate zone, depth range, distribution range: Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 600 m. Subtropical; 10°C - 25°C; 60°N - 50°S, 180°W - 180°E. Distribution: Cosmopolitan in tropical and temperate waters of all oceans including the Mediterranean Sea but not at the surface between 10°N and 10°S. Western Pacific: range extend in a broad band between 40°N and 40°S. Often confused with juvenile Thunnus obesus which also have very long pectorals but with rounded tips. Highly migratory species, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. Size, weight, age: Max. length: 1.40 m, common length: 1 m; weight: 60.3 kg; age: 9 years Short description: The albacore has a streamlined, fusiform body with a conical snout, large mouth, and big eyes. Its body is dark blue dorsally, shades of silvery white ventrally, and covered by small scales. The pectoral fins begin slightly before the first dorsal fin and extend well beyond the front of the anal fin, usually as far as the second dorsal finlet, often as long as 30% of the fish's total length. Like the fish's body, the fins are dark blue on top, but change to a medium yellow color on the underside. They are markedly shorter in fish under 0.5 m (1.6 ft) in length, often resulting in confusion with T. obesus juveniles, which also have long pectoral fins, though these are rounded at the tips where the albacore's taper to a point. The first dorsal fin is a deep yellow and the second, which is smaller than the first, is a light yellow, as is the anal fin. It has 7-9 dorsal finlets and 7-8 anal finlets, dark blue and silvery white in color respectively, matching the part of the fish's body they are on. The caudal fin is also silvery white. At 1.4 m (4.6 ft) maximum length, the albacore is the smallest of the bluefin tuna. It reaches sexual maturity at 0.9 m (3.0 ft) and its common length is only slightly larger at 1.0 m (3.3 ft). Males and females exhibit no sexual dimorphism. Biology: An epipelagic and mesopelagic, oceanic species, abundant in surface waters of 15.6° to 19.4°C; deeper swimming, large albacore are found in waters of 13.5° to 25.2°C; temperatures as low as 9.5°C may be tolerated for short periods. Known to concentrate along thermal discontinuities. Form mixed schools with skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and bluefin tuna (T. maccoyii), schools may be associated with floating objects, including sargassum weeds. Feed on fishes, crustaceans and squids. Eggs and larvae are pelagic. Sexual maturity reached at 90 cm. Highly appreciated and marketed fresh, smoked, deep frozen or canned. Eaten steamed, broiled, fried and microwaved. Also Ref. 1762, 1798, 1804. Angling: Largely caught offshore, where the waters are mild and blue. Albacore favor those areas where cooler water interfaces with warmer water. They are caught with live of dead baitfish such as mullet, sauries, squid, herring, anchovies, sardines, and other small fish. Albacore strike hard and make powerful runs. Life cycle and mating behavior: The sex ratio in catches is about 1:1 for immature individuals, but males predominate among mature fishes, which is possibly due to both differential mortality of sexes and differential growth rate after maturity. Main reference: Collette, B.B. and C.E. Nauen, 1983. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. Rome: FAO. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(2):137 p. IUCN Red List Status: NEAR THREATENED (''NT)' '''CITES: Not Evaluated CMS: Not Evaluated Threat to humans: Harmless Human uses: Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes. Category:Scombridae, Mackerels, tunas, bonitos